I have entitled this message,
Receiving Grace in Vain. Receiving Grace in Vain, To No
Purpose. Paul says in verse 1, We then,
as workers together with him, beseech you, we earnestly exhort
you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain, to no purpose,
with no saving benefits. What does he mean by the grace
of God when he says, I beseech you that you receive not the
grace of God in vain? Now, there are a lot of different
ways to define the grace of God. But in the context, here's what
the grace of God is in verse 21 of chapter 5. For he hath
made him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. Now, that's grace. He took my
sin. And he placed it upon his son.
Was there anything in me that could possibly merit that? That
he would remove my sin from me and place it upon his son and
make him to be sin. And I'm made to be. Now this
is grace. I'm made to be. That righteousness
that he worked out, that's mine. And I'm made to be the very righteousness
of God. This is no offer up for you to
accept or reject. This is what God does. Grace
is not an offer. Grace is an accomplishment where
he makes somebody like me, the very righteousness of God. That is grace. That's grace, isn't it? Now what does it mean to receive
grace in vain? It can be done. Paul would not
have said this if it could not be done. What does it mean to
receive the grace of God in vain? Well, I know what it doesn't
mean. I know it does not mean that God can give you grace and
can do something for you. and have mercy on you and forgive
you of your sins and give you His grace and you can send away
that grace and lose it. I know it doesn't mean that because
that's not grace, that's works. That's all it is, it's works,
it's not grace. It doesn't mean someone who has truly experienced
the grace of God can lose that grace and end up perishing. It doesn't mean that at all. But there is a receiving of God's
grace and not being saved by it. What's that? Turn to 1 Thessalonians,
chapter 1, verse 4. Knowing, brethren, beloved, 1
Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God. Now, Paul looks at these people
and he says, I know you're of the number of God's elect. I
know your names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I know
you were chosen before time began. I know your election of God.
That's a bold statement, isn't it? Now, why does he know their
election? Here's why. For our gospel came
not unto you in word only. What happens when the gospel
comes only in word only? Well, you hear and you see, yes,
that's what the Bible teaches. I agree with that. And nothing
more. That is word only. I agree with that. I see it.
That's what the Bible says. I believe that. and nothing more. That's giving assent to the truth. And if all I do is give assent
to the truth, I've never known the grace of God, if it doesn't
go any further than that. And look what he says in verse
5, For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in
power and in the Holy Ghost. You were
born again and in much assurance. Now, that doesn't mean you had
complete assurance of your salvation. You know, you can have complete
assurance of your salvation and be lost as a goose. There's a
lot of folks that have full assurance that don't even know the Lord.
What that is referring to is you were fully assured that what
you were hearing was the gospel of God. You knew it was God's
message. When you heard it, you said,
that's the truth of God. That's the truth of God. And
that's what happens when you hear in the power of the Holy
Spirit, in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. Now, I don't want to receive the grace
of God in vain, do you? I want to be saved by the grace
of God. I want to know Now how does one
go about receiving the grace of God in vain? I'm going to
show you several scriptures that will show us what it means to
receive the grace of God in vain. First turn to Romans chapter
5. Romans chapter 5, verse 20. Moreover, the law entered, that's
talking about God's holy law, the Ten Commandments, the thou
shalts and the thou shalt nots. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, that it might overflow. Now, if you
see what God's law really means, you know what it shows you? It
shows sin just belches out of your heart. It abounds. It overflows. That's all that's there. That's
what you see when you see the truthfulness of God's law. You're
a place where sin abounds. And look what it says next. But
where sin abounded. In the very place where sin abounded. And you find someone who sees
that all they do is sin. That's all that's there. They
can't see anything else. In that very place, grace, the free favor of God, the salvation
of God, did much more abound. Now, I receive the grace of God
in vain when I fail to be a place where sin Somebody says, I'm not like that.
Okay. But there's no promise of grace
for you. The only place where grace is promised is that place
where sin abounds. Now, if I were you, and this
is what I'm doing, I'm asking the Lord to show me enough about
my sin to cause His grace to abound. I don't want to know
any more about it than that, but I want to know this much
about it. I want to know enough about my sin that causes His
grace to abound. But I fail in this thing of grace. I don't receive it aright. I
receive it in vain if I fail to be a place where sin abounds. Look back at page 2 Romans chapter
4. Now, to him that worketh, to
him that does something that would cause God to respond to
him and save him. A work is anything that's different
from grace. That's what a work is. To him
that worketh is the reward, the heavenly inheritance, not reckoned
of grace, but of debt. In other words, God's paying
you what he owes you. But to him that worketh not, to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. Now, how do I receive the grace
of God in vain? By working. By working. What is meant by salvation by
works? Well, it's anything that's different
from grace. It's that simple. Anything different
from grace. If I believe that God saves me
because He threw out His grace and left it up for me to accept
it or reject it, and I accepted it, and I accepted Jesus as my
personal Savior, and that's why I'm saved, that's works. If I believe that man is not
dead in sins and has the power of free will to choose God, I
believe in works. If I believe that God's election
of his people was conditioned upon him foreseeing what they
would do, he foresaw they'd believe, therefore he elected them. That's
works. If I believe that Jesus Christ
died savingly for every individual and paid for the sins of every
individual, but you might be damned anyway, even though Christ
died for it, if you don't do whatever it is you need to do
to make what he did work for you, that is works. If I believe
God's grace can be resisted and that is not invincible and irresistible,
then somehow I believe in salvation by works. If I believe a true
child of God can fall away and perish after God's given him
grace, I believe in salvation by works, and the reward is not
reckoned to me as a gift of grace, but it's a response to something
I've done. Look in Romans 11, look what
Paul says about this very issue. Romans chapter 11, verse 6, and if by grace, and in the context, he's talking
about election. He speaks of the election of grace. Verse
5, even so, there is the present time arraigned according to the
election of grace. And if by grace, if election
is by grace, if salvation is by grace, if it's the complete,
free, unmerited favor of God, then it's no more of works. Otherwise,
grace is no more grace. You put a work in there anyway,
99% grace and 1% works is 100% works. If it be of works, then don't
call it grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. Turn with me to Galatians chapter
2. Here's how you receive the grace of God in vain. Verse 20, Paul said, I'm crucified with
Christ. That's a glory. When Christ was crucified, I
was too. When he was nailed to that tree, I was too. I was right
there with him in the person of my representative and my substitute. When he was crucified, I was.
You ever been crucified? Yes, I have been. When he was
crucified, I was. That's what he says. I am crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Although
I died when I was crucified, nevertheless, I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. I don't frustrate the grace of
God. I don't make it meaningless. I don't nullify it. Take away the meaning of it.
I don't frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness came
by the law, by my personal obedience to God's holy law, by my works,
if righteousness came by the law, then Christ died in vain. Now, what is righteousness? What
is righteousness? Righteousness is perfection before
God's holy law. If you're righteous, that means
God looks at you and he says, there's no sin there. He said regarding Noah, thee
have I seen as righteous before me. Now, how could a human being
be like that? He says, if righteousness came
by the law, When Christ died in vain, the only way that I
can be righteous is through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And because of his death, I'm righteous. When he died, God
said concerning Todd Nygaard, he is righteous. The only way righteousness can
come is by the death of Christ. And you really believe it by
his death. That's what makes you righteous. Not your words.
Not what you do. Not what you intend to do. Not
your promises to reform. What makes me righteous or who
makes me righteous is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who
is he that condemneth? Paul asked that question. Who
is he that condemneth? My conscience condemns me all
the time. I walk around with a cloud of guilt over my head
all the time. God's law can certainly condemn
me. Anybody that knows me, that's been around me, can bring up
things that I should be condemned for. But what is the one answer? Paul says, I love the challenge
of this. He says, who is he that condemns?
It's Christ that died. What else is needed? Do you know
nothing else is needed? I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. And the only way somebody can
be righteous is by the death of Christ. Do you believe that?
You believe the only way that you personally can be righteous
before God is by the death of the God man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, we frustrate his grace.
We make meaningless his grace if we think righteousness comes
any other way. Galatians chapter five. Verse one, you stand fast, therefore. In the liberty. In the freedom. What is liberty? Well, you don't
owe anything. You get to do what you want to
do. Isn't that what liberty is? You don't owe anything, and you
get to do what you want to do. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the
yoke of bondage. Law, behold, I, Paul, say unto
you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. If you think there's anything
that you do, circumcision actually being the easiest commandment
to keep, what would it be easier to do, to be circumcised or to
not tell a lie? Circumcision would be painful,
but I could keep that before I could Never telling a lie again. I wish I wouldn't, but I mean,
the point is, if you add anything to the work of Christ, circumcision
represents the law. Anything else? Christ has become
of no effect to you. Christ shall profit you nothing.
For I testify again to every man that circumcised. If you
go that route, you're a debtor to do the whole law. Christ has become of no effect
unto you. Whosoever of you are justified
by the law, you are fallen from grace. Now, when you add something
to Christ, you know what you've done? You've fallen from grace. It really is that simple. You
receive grace in vain if you don't receive grace alone. If
you add something to it, you have fallen, you've let grace,
and you're on a long, long road where you're going to have to
keep the law by yourself perfectly. And if you don't come up with
the good, you'll perish. Now, the only way I can be saved
is if it's all of grace and by His grace. I'm not going to add
to that. If you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Turn back to Acts chapter 13.
Verse 43. Acts 13, 43. to continue in the grace of God. Paul and Barnabas persuaded them
to continue in the grace of God. Yesterday, I know this as sure
as I'm standing here, yesterday when God saved me, it was all
by grace. Do you know what he said to you
was all of grace? And you know what? Today it hasn't changed
any. I haven't moved a hair past that. Salvation is of the Lord. And I continue in that grace. And there's a scripture I quote
very often in Colossians 1.22. where it says He's made us holy
and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight. And that's what
the grace of God does. That's what the blood of Christ does.
He's made us holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight.
But the next verse says, if, very important, if we continue
in the faith, grounded and settled and be not moved, from the hope. What's the hope? My hope is that
salvation is all of grace. And we don't and we will not
be moved by that hope. We don't want anything else.
I was trying to think of what does it mean to continue in the
grace of God? Well, the door was open of the ark, in the ark. And they said, go in the ark.
The only place of safety is in the ark. You know what I'd do? By the grace of God, I'd go in
the ark if I believed that. And you know where I'd stay?
I'd stay in the ark. I wouldn't want to go out of
the ark. I'd want to stay right there because I'd know the only
way I would be safe if I was in the ark, in the Lord Jesus
Christ, in the grace of God. If I step outside, I've had it.
Continue in the grace of God. Paul said to the Galatians, I
marvel that you're so soon removed. From him that called you to the
grace of Christ and to another gospel, I never will forget Henry
Mahan saying this, and I want to say this carefully, but he
said, you know. He said, I wouldn't marvel to see anybody in here
fall into any kind of sin. I don't want to see it. I pray
it doesn't happen, but I wouldn't be amazed by it. But I tell you
something I would be amazed by. I would be amazed, I would marvel
at anybody in here leaving grace. I'd be amazed by that. You continue,
continue in the grace of God. Do you want to be anywhere else?
I sure don't want anything else. First Corinthians 15. This is every believer's motto. Paul says in verse nine, I think
this is interesting, this is from what I have read. First
Corinthians was the first epistle Paul ever wrote. And at this
time, he says, I'm the least of the apostles. And as he goes
on, he says, I'm less than the least of all the saints to the
Ephesians. And then when he's speaking to Timothy right before
he died, he said, I'm the very chief of sinners. But at this
time, he says, I'm the least of the apostles. It's not even
meet for me to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church
of God. But. By the grace of God. I am what I am. What am I? Well, the first title I got to
take to myself is I'm a sinner. And I'm not saying that flippantly. I'm saying that was shame. I'm
a sinner. And I know that the only reason
I know that is by the grace of God. I wouldn't know it if it
wasn't for His grace. I'm elect. I'm chosen of God. And I know it was pure grace
that chose me. I'm redeemed by the blood of
Christ. And I know it's the redemption
of grace. I've been justified, and I know
I was justified freely by His grace. I believe, and I know
that His grace gave me that faith. I'm repentant. Right now, I'm
repentant, and He granted me that repentance. I love the Lord Jesus Christ. And by His grace, I'd die for
His name. By His grace. Now, I know I'd
chicken out if He didn't give me the grace to do it. But this is my
great desire. I would die for Him. And that
is only by grace. I am what I am by the grace of
God. Now, if you are what you are
for any other reason than that, you've received the grace of
God in vain. To no purpose. It's not going to do you any
good at all. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
8. I think this is an interesting
passage of Scripture. Verse 1. Moreover, brethren, we do you
to wit, we want to tell you about the grace of God bestowed upon
the churches of Macedonia. Now, I think it's very interesting
how when he defines the grace of God that was bestowed, he
doesn't give some theological definition. It's unmerited favor
given for Christ. That's true, but that's not what
he says. Look what he says when he talks
about the grace of God that was bestowed, that was showered upon,
that was given to these individuals in these churches in Macedonia.
He says that how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance
of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality. their generosity, for to their
power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were
willing of themselves, praying. We didn't have to coerce them.
We didn't have to try to guilt manipulate them. They were willing
of themselves, their grace, praying with us with much entreaty that
we'd receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the
ministering of the saints. And this they did, not as we
hoped, but first. gave their own selves to the
Lord, and then to us by the will of God. Now, there is grace,
insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would
also finish in you the same grace also, not just to begin in this
grace of giving, but to finish it. Therefore, as you abound
in everything, in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all diligence,
and in your love to us, see that you abound in this grace also."
Now, here's the grace of God. Someone who doesn't have to be
coerced, doesn't have to be manipulated. They're generous out of the depths
of their hearts because of what Christ has done for them. When
He describes grace, that's how He describes it. Hebrews chapter
4. Now, the point behind what I
just said is, if grace doesn't make me gracious, if grace doesn't make me gracious,
I've received the grace of God in vain. The writer of the Hebrew says,
and this is a, this is a, oh, what a precious passage of scripture.
Let us. Let us. Therefore, come boldly
with confidence, without reserve, freely, boldly. Let us come boldly
under the throne of justice. No, I'm not going to come boldly
to that. The throne of holiness. I don't
think I can come boldly to that. I hope I come, but it would be
scared to death. He says, let us come boldly under
the throne of grace. That we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. And if I to come boldly
to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and to find grace to help
me in time of need. Grace is just a theory. It's
just a doctrine. But when I see that His grace
gives me access to come boldly into His presence for this purpose,
this is why I come boldly, to obtain mercy. Not give me what
you don't know. Give me mercy and give me grace
to help me in time of need. Jude four, got two more. Jude four. Right before the book of Revelation. Jude verse 4, for there are certain
men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained
to this condemnation. Somebody says, what's that mean?
What's it sound like it means? That's exactly what it means.
They were before of old ordained. to this condemnation, ungodly
men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying
the only Lord God that bought them. You know what that means?
They're using the grace of God to excuse a sinful life. Salvation is by grace. I don't
need to worry about living a sinful life because salvation is by
grace. Let us sin that grace may abound. That's what that means. Let us
sin that grace may abound. Now, that's what I've done regarding
the grace of God. If I'm looking at the grace of
God as a reason for me to feel OK about my sin and continue
in my sin, truly, I've received the grace of God in vain. I've
not been, that is not saving grace. Save from what? Save from
what? That truly is receiving the grace
of God in vain. Grace is not an excuse for a
sinful life. Grace is a longing for a sinless
life. That's what grace is. It's not
an excuse for a sinful life. Oh, I don't want to be one of
those people who say, let us sin that grace may abound. Paul
said, God forbid that we would take such a thought. Now, in
the context, let's go back to Second Corinthians, chapter six. We then, as workers together
with him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of
God in vain, to no purpose, not in a saving way. For he hath
said, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation
have I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. In the context, to receive the
grace of God in vain is to fail to receive it now. Now, there are two false refuges
that men hide in all the time. The first false refuge is yesterday.
And the next false refuge is tomorrow. That's where men hide. Yesterday. If I'm looking to
yesterday for assurance right now, that means I'm not looking
to Christ. I'm looking to some kind of work
or some kind of experience, something that happened. And if I have
to look there, I'm looking in the wrong place. Yesterday is
a false refuge. If I got to look back 20 seconds
for assurance, it's a false assurance. I'm looking to Christ right now
as my only reason for salvation. Right now, I'm looking to Him
only. Yesterday is a false refuge. You know what else is a false
refuge? Tomorrow. I'm going to believe tomorrow.
Oh, okay. That works. That's thinking of
doing something in the power of your flesh. Boast not thyself
of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Isn't that so true? You don't even know if you have
tomorrow. And as far as any plans you plan on doing tomorrow, there's
nothing to that. There's nothing to it. It's a
lie in the first place. It's a lie. Tomorrow is a false
refuge. Now, now, don't wait for something. Don't wait to get better. Don't
wait till you know more. Don't wait till you understand
more. Right now, the time to believe the gospel, the time
to receive the grace of God in all of its fullness, is right
now. And right now, there is therefore
now, now, no condemnation, no judgment to them that are in
Christ Jesus. Paul said, the life that I now
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
John said, Behold, now are we the sons of God. And Jude said,
Now unto him the table, to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before his throne with exceeding joy. The only
time to believe. Let me say this about faith.
Faith is always in the now. Something that's not in the now
is not faith. I don't know what it is, but it's not faith. Faith
is always in the now. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. I beseech you, don't receive
the grace of God in vain. Let's pray together.